Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 5-2
2013 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 94-76
2013 Advantage/Disadvantage FINAL Record (series only): 22-13-4
Must See is
back. Enjoy!
Friday,
December 20
NBA
Houston
Rockets at Indiana Pacers
The tandem
of Rockets All-Star center Dwight Howard (18 PPG, 13 RPG, 2 BlkPG) and guard
James Harden (24 PPG, 6 APG, 5 RPG) has been all it was cracked up to be so far
in the hyper-competitive Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers,
with the best defense in the NBA and the best record in the Eastern Conference,
have demonstrated that their trip to the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals in
which they pushed the eventual NBA Champion Miami Heat to a seventh game was no
fluke.
Indiana did
receive a reminder that Miami is the defending champ on Wednesday night, giving
up a lead to the Heat late and losing after missing the final shot by Pacers’
forward Paul George (24 PPG, 6 RPG, 2 StlPG). This game is in Indiana.
Disgruntled reserve center Omer Asik (4 PPG, 7 RPG) is not expected to play due
to a thigh injury and point guard Jeremy Lin (14 PPG, 4 APG) has been hampered
by an ailing back. That tips the scales to Indiana.
Advantage:
Pacers
 |
| Paul George won't have to worry about taking a winning shot on the road and a star not getting called in Indianapolis. 1 |
Saturday,
December 21
NBA
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are red hot, having won six of their last
eight, with a 2.5 game lead over the resurgent Phoenix Suns in the Pacific
Division. The Nuggets are solid, but not super in any aspect of their game.
Their super point guard, Ty Lawson (18 PPG, 8 APG) has been hampered by the flu
this week. Travel won’t help his condition, even if he plays on Saturday. I’ll
take CP3 (20 PPG, 11 APG, 5 RPG,2 StlPG) and crew in this game.
Advantage: Clippers
NCAA FOOTBALL
Royal Purple
Las Vegas Bowl
#20 Fresno
State Bulldogs vs #25 USC Trojans
Fresno has
lit up the scoreboard and demolished the Mountain West this year, averaging 45
points per game. It has come on the strength of quarterback Derek Carr’s (4,866
yds., 48 TD, 7 INT, 70% comp.) golden arm. The Bulldogs have two thousand yard
receivers, Davante Adams (122 rec., 1,645 yds., 23 TD) and Josh Harper (79
rec., 1,011 yds., 13 TD). They’ve climbed into the top 25 in spite of playing
in a defense-optional conference.
USC Interim Head
Coach Ed Orgeron has since resigned as the Trojans’ coach. He almost
single-handedly was responsible for the 180 degree turnaround in Southern Cal.
The Trojans were circling the drain at the time former Head Coach Lane Kiffin
was fired at the airport following a September loss to Arizona State. Prior to
losing their season finale to #22 UCLA, the Trojans had won five straight,
including a stunning upset over #4 Stanford.
His ability
to motivate his players was evident. How he did not get the coaching job permanently
is beyond me. But I expect his players to win one for him against their
mid-major, in-state opponent in this minor bowl game.
Advantage:
USC
 |
| The Trojans want to honor Coach O. 2 |
NCAA
Basketball
#7 Oklahoma
State Cowboys at #20 Colorado Buffaloes
Guard Marcus
Smart (18 PPG, 5 RPG, 4 APG) and the Cowboys are off to a lightning fast, 10-1
start. Their sharp shooting has early eyes on them for a deep run in March. The
Buffaloes are making waves in the Pac-12. Once again, Colorado has a team that
should be capable of getting its ticket punched to the Big Dance. This year may
be a little different. The Buffaloes vaulted themselves into the attention of
college basketball fans everywhere with their stunning upset over #6 Kansas
earlier this month. Colorado beat KU, a former Big 12 rival, for the first time in 10 years.
Colorado
guard Askia Booker (12 PPG) was the hero of that game, making the winning three
point shot. However the strength of the Buffaloes, winners of ten straight, has
been power – play in the paint, i.e. rebounding and defense. Forwards Josh
Scott (12 PPG, 9 RPG) and Wesley Gordon (8 PPG, 6 RPG) have been the enforcers
down low of Colorado. In addition, the Buffs know how to force turnovers, even
by talented guards like Smart.
This is
another test for Colorado. Oklahoma has good chemistry and a bona fide star in
Smart. They’ve played together at a high level since last season. In spite of
Colorado being red hot and at home, I like the Cowboys.
Advantage: Oklahoma
State
Sunday,
December 22
NFL
Indianapolis
Colts (9-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)
One would
think that on a team with an emerging superstar at quarterback and a fierce
pass rush, the loss of a wide receiver, even their best wide receiver, wouldn’t
slow them down too much. But that is just what happened. Ever since wide receiver
Reggie Wayne (38 rec., 503 yds., 2 TD) was lost for the season while handing
the Denver Broncos their first loss of the season in Week 7.
But that is
just what has happened. Since Wayne, who is still
the Colts’ third leading receiver in 2013 in spite of having missed the last
seven games, went down the Colts have lost three times in seven games following
a 5-2 start. All four wins have been against the Tennessee Titans and Houston
Texans, whose combined 2013 record is 7-21 (.250 winning pct.). the losses have
been ugly.
The Chiefs
showed that they weren’t as good as their 9-0 start may have led people to
think by losing three straight division games. But two of those losses were at
the hands of Peyton Manning and the Broncos, whom many have penciled in to the
Super Bowl already. They throttled the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins
and reminded the league that while they weren’t ready for Peyton, yet, they
were to be taken seriously. Expect more seriousness on Sunday at Arrowhead.
Advantage:
Chiefs
New Orleans
Saints (10-4) at Carolina Panthers (10-4)
The Carolina
Panthers think they have everything lined up just right. The Saints have a
losing record on the road. The Panthers are 6-1 at home in Bank of America
Stadium. The Panthers have won nine of their last ten games. The Saints got
embarrassed last week against the 6-8 St. Louis Rams, giving the Panthers a
destiny-controlling opening to win the NFC South, an opening that closed after
their last loss.
The problem
for the Panthers? The one loss in their last ten was against the Saints. The
loss that took the Panthers’ fate in the division race out of their own paws
was to the Saints. The Sean Payton has not lost consecutive games as Head Coach
since 2009 (though they did win the Super Bowl that season, so even that is a
speck in the Panthers’ formula for success). They are 10 for 10 in their last
10 games following a loss under Sean Payton.
Making
matters worse for Carolina is that the Saints not only lost to the Rams, but
were destroyed and put in a do-or-die situation. The kicker, Garrett Hartley,
walked the plank; he was cut. Left tackle Charles Brown was benched after a
poor performance in favor of rookie Terron Armstead, third round pick out of
Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the 2013 NFL Draft. Cornerback Chris Carr was cut this
week. Players are feeling immediate and tangible consequences for poor
performance in Saints camp this week.
The kinds of
mishaps that result from poor preparation – perhaps not being focused during
film sessions, dogging it just a little during
conditioning activities, not pushing one’s self to their personal limit in
practice – that isn’t going to happen this week. Heads have rolled. The stakes
couldn’t be much greater. And the Saints demonstrated, albeit with a
substantial advantage in the Superdome, that they can shut down Cam Newton (3,049
yds., 21 TD, 11 INT, 62% comp., 507 rush yds., 5.3 YPC) and the Panthers.
Advantage:
Saints
 |
| The Saints haven't lost a game this year with the Saintsations on the sidelines. Maybe they should travel with the team this week? 3 |
New England Patriots
(10-4) at Baltimore Ravens (8-6)
The Ravens
found a way to win a critical game at the Detroit Lions on Monday Night
Football last week. However, they did it without scoring a touchdown, and with
a game winning, 61-yard Justin Tucker field goal. The Ravens have still not
solved their issues with running the ball. They are a one trick pony in the
backfield with Ray Rice (605 yds., 4 TD, 3.1 avg.), who has not been able to
find his groove this year. And when Rice cannot get it going, the Ravens’
offense seems to vanish.
Fortunately,
the Ravens are at home at the Patriots are in the NFL’s toilet among
run-stopping defenses. Still, Tom Brady (4,049 yds., 23 TD, 10 INT, 61% comp.) must
be reeling after a last-second loss in Miami last week. Brady keeps the
Patriots offense rolling along no matter who is in the lineup. The backfield
tandem of running backs Stevan Ridley (645 yds., 7 TD, 4.3 avg.) and LaGarrette
Blunt (507 yds., 3 TD, 4.5 avg.) along with the return of RB Shane Vereen (199
yds., 1 TD, 5.0 avg.) from injury has quietly relieved Brady of some of the
burden of a limited receiving corps without tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Gronk’s
absence is more than a minor setback for New England. He only played in seven
games this season and is currently their second leading receiver. But New
England keeps reloading its cannons with artillery while the Ravens appear to
be jamming silverware and blocks of concrete into their cannons, lighting the
fuse, and hoping for the best when their offense reaches a pitfall. That worked
against Detroit. It won’t fly versus the Pats.
Advantage:
Patriots
Chicago
Bears (8-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (8-6)
I expect Jay
Cutler to show the nation why coach Mark Trestman made the right choice going
back to Jay Cutler (2,173 yds, 16 TD, 10 INT, 64% comp.) over backup Josh
McCown (1,809 yds., 13 TD, 1 INT, 67% comp.) when Cutler was cleared to return
from injury. The Eagles defense is loaded full of holes and Bears running back
Matt Forte (1,200 yds., 7 TD, 4.7 avg.) appears to have turned his level up for
the December stretch.
After the
Eagles embarrassing debacle in Minnesota, their confidence, particularly on
defense, has to be shot. The question is whether or now the Eagles can find a
way to get an early lead, then control the ball by gashing the Bears with
running back LeSean McCoy (1,343 yds., 7 TD, 5.0 avg.). The Bears appear to be
playing their best ball at the right time: in December. The Eagles? I’m not so
sure.
Advantage:
Bears
Wednesday,
December 25
NBA
Miami Heat
at Los Angeles Lakers
As is
tradition, the NBA rules Christmas on the air. LeBron James (25 PPG, 7 APG, 7
RPG, 2 StlPG) is the king of the court. Without Kobe Bryant (14 PPG, 6 APG) in
the Lakers lineup (knee), I expect this to be “The Heatles Show”.
Advantage:
Heat
Houston
Rockets at San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs
only have the third best record in the NBA, yet it is better than any team in
the Eastern Conference. That is just how intense the Western Conference is at
the top this year. The Rockets have an entire new outlook this season with
Dwight Howard at center. However, Tony Parker (18 PPG, 6 APG) and the defending
Western Conference champion Spurs have just continued to roll on like they
always do. I wouldn’t rule out a minor Christmas miracle for the Rockets
because they have talent. But Greg Popovich knows this is a nationally
televised game on America’s biggest holiday and the Spurs are in their own
house.
Advantage:
Spurs
 |
| Photoshop has allowed a lot of people on the Internet to have some fun at Tim Duncan's expense because of his age. I'll bet he laughs every morning...when he opens the newspaper and looks at the box score. 4 |
